Improvement in fifth-wheels for vehicles



` Lafr. BLAIR. .Fifth-wheel for vehicles.

Paienied feb. 9,1875/ l* UI No. l59,492.

'PHIL l -IFT, Y ,Img

LA FAYETTE BLAIR, OF PAINESVILLE, OHIO.

IIvIPRovEIvIENT IN FIFTH- wI-IEELs FoR VEHICLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l 59.492, datedFebruary 9, 1875; application filed October 30, 1874.

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, LA FAYETTE BLAIR, ofPainesville, county of Lake and State of Ohio, have invented a new andImproved Fifth- Wheel for Vehicles; and declare the following to be sucha full, clear, and exact description thereof as will enable othersskilled in the art to which my invention relates to make and use it,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which iorm a part ofthis specification.

invention relates to improvements in fItth-wheels, whereby they Inay bemade in a simple and durablel form, and at the same time very light andof' little expense; and consists, irst, in securing to the axle thelower segment oi' a spherical joint, and to the reach the upper segmentof same, the two being united by a king-bolt starting from a point abovethe axle, and extending up through both said segments, the head-block,and the lower leaves of the spring 5 second, in improvements in detachedportions of the mechanism, whereby the above construction is madepracticable and eicient third, inthe combination with the upper segmentof the spherical joint and the king-bolt of the lower segment attachedrigidly to the axle, and a slot in the said lower section through whichthe bolt passes, the said slot being elongated in the direction parallelto the axle, but not otherwise 5l fourth, in the combination with thereach-box and the plate beneath the axle of a brace attached.- rigidlyto the said plate and hinged tothe reach-box.

1n the drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of my invention. Fig. 2is a vertical cross-section through the center line of the axle at an y,Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detached view of the king-bolt.

A is a box or casing extending down and around the axle. C' is ametallic plate, provided with a central stud or bolt, c', and boltholesfor the passage of the bolt ends of the clips b. The parts are finallysecurely bound together by the nuts d. O is a top cast solid with thebox A. Itis in the form of a segment of a hollow sphere, and is madesmooth on its inner androuter surface. It is provided with a slot, t',at the top for the passage of the king-bolt. This slot is elongated inthe direction of the length of the axle, so as to admit of the king-boltmoving in that direction. B is a cap-plate made to lit down over theseat or spherical top or bearing O, and it is also in form the segmentof a hollow sphere on its under side, though its upper side may be ofany desired shape. Gr is a box for holding, or to which may be attached,the reach. lt is cast with and forms a part of the cap-plate B. Itsedges project above the top of the capplate B, at g, and form ashoulder, against which the head-block rests, and prevent it fromturning. D is the head-block, suited on its under side to rest immovablyupon the capplate B, and on its upper side to receive the spring E andthe clips a, whereby the spring is secured to the headblock. Kisak-iI1g-bolt.` It is formed with a head, m, that has a spherical bearingon its upper side to conform to the under side of the bearing O. Itsshaft passes up through the slot i', the cap-plate B, headblock D, andspring E, and is J(,here securedby the nut o. The king-bolt is ofpeculiar construction. It is formed with a shoulder, m', between the twoplates B andO, and the head-block D is formed with a bushing or annularshoulder, 11., which projects down through the cap B, and rests squarelyagainst the shoulder m ou the king-bolt. This prevents the lower end orhead, m, of the king-bolt from being clamped by the nut c so closelyagainst the bearing C as to prevent a free motion, and at the same time,should wear eventually cause looseness or lost motion, it can be readilycompensated by removing the king-bolt and filing down on the shoulder m.The sleeve or bushing L also serves another purpose: it makes a broadbearing on the bolt, so that should a person bear down upon one side ot'the carriage, as in entering the same, the leverage obtained on the kingbolt would cause it to bind irmly against the lower shell or bearing, O,causing it to bind against the cap B, and consequently holding the partsrigidly, so that the carriage will only yield by its springs, and not atthis joint.

It is obvious, that instead of making the reach-connection in the formof a box it may be made flat and be connected with the reach in anysuitable manner; so also it is not absolutely essential, thoughpreferable, that it should be' cast solid with the cap B, for it mightbe otherwise rigidly secured thereto. On the bar C is a stud or bolt,c', to which the end ot' the brace H is rigidly secured. The other endof the brace is hinged, as shown at I, to the reach-box, so as to permitthe brace attachment to conform to the relative positions of the axleand the reach.

It is obvious that the foundation or base of the bearing-plate C may notbe formed into the shape ot' a box, A, to embrace the axle; but theplate C may be secured to the axle in any suitable manner.

lt Will be noticed that the joint is not ex actly a ball-and-socketjoint 5 but the surfaces are but small segments of spheres, and are allseparated by'simply removing the nut c from the king-bolt K.

It is also obvious, that instead ot' dressing the head ot' the hing-boltto a spherical surface it might be an ordinary bolt, and the sphericalsurface be formed on a washer, through which the bolt might pass.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The plate or bearing C, provided with inner and outer sphericalsurfaces and means for attachment to the axle, substantially as and forthe purposes described.

2. The combination, with the plate C, ot' the king-bolt K and theelongated slot t', substantially as and t'or the purposes described.

3. The combination, with the plate O, of the box A, substantially as andfor the purposes described.

4. The combination. with the plate C and box A, of the plate C and clipsb, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. The combination, with a hollow spherical bearing-plate, C, ot' thespherical cap-plate B and king-bolt K, the said king-bolt starting fromthe under side ot' the plate C, substantially4 as and for the purposesdescribed.

6. The combination, with the spherical cap B, of the reachbox G,substantially as and for the purposes described.

7. The combination,with the plate C and the reach-box G, ofthe brace H,attached rigidly to the said plate and hinged to the reach-box,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. The combination, with the plates U and B and king-bolt K, ot' thehead-block D and shoulder h, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

9. The combination, with the plates C and B, head-block D, and spring E,ot the. king-bolt K, starting from the under side ot' the plate E, andthe nut c, as set forth.

l0. The combination of box A, plates C and B, reach-box G, head-blockl), king-bolt K, and elongated slot i, substantially as and for thepurposes described.

LA FAYETTE BLAIR.

Witnesses: I

WILLIAM PETTINGELL, CHARLES H. PETTINGELL.

